Australia’s casual employment law set to kick in end-September

Australia’s casual employment law that mandates employers to produce a written offer to casual employees who are employed for at least 12 months for conversion to a permanent employment is set to kick in from September 27.

The law will require firms to write to an employee within 21 days after the employee’s 12 month anniversary to inform them of the conversion to a permanent role, or reasons why a conversion is not offered. However, it excludes small businesses employing fewer than 15 staff.

The requirement comes after changes to the Fair Work Act were passed in March, allowing casual staff the right to convert to permanent employment after 12 months of work if they clocked regular hours on an ongoing basis over the past six months. 

READ: OECD urges Australia to increase employment benefits

Casual workers will also be able to request for a conversion to a permanent role so long as they have been employed for at least 12 months, have worked a regular pattern of hours over the past six months, and can continue to work the same hours in a full-time or part-time capacity, writes Momentum Media.